BIOLOGICAL RISK OF OLDER ADULTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

Objectives: To investigate whether biological markers of health differ among older adults with visual impairment compared to those with normal vision. Design: We use data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 – 2006) to investigate clinically defined at-risk levels for 10 biological markers. Setting: Survey participants were non-institutionalized. Participants: Nationally representative (U.S.) sample of older adults age 65 and older, categorized as having blindness (20/200 or worse), low vision (20/40 to 20/100) or normal vision (better than 20/40). Intervention: Separate binary logistic regressions (one for each biomarker, with two at-risk cut points for BMI: obese and underweight) were computed to determine the odds of having at-risk levels of each biomarker. Measurements: Biomarkers included: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, highdensity lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), fasting triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and plasma homocysteine. Results: Older adults who were blind were more likely to have high-risk levels of LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, and to be underweight (BMI>18.5). Similarly, older adults with LV were more likely to have high-risk levels of homocysteine compared to older adults with normal vision. Conclusion: As several of the high-risk biomarkers associated with visual impairment were diet-related, our results suggest the importance of nutrition and diet programs aimed towards educating older people who are visually impaired.